September 30, 2023
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- Fact Checked
Last Updated: December 10, 2019
What’s the Best Vegan Deodorant or Antiperspirant?
(Cruelty-Free)
The health and beauty industries are among the biggest offenders when it comes to animal testing.
This is especially the case when it comes to skincare products (see also our favorite Korean anti-aging products), even for products as basic as deodorants and antiperspirants..
We spent about 2 months testing and researching cruelty-free vegan deodorants and antiperspirants and found that despite the rampant practice of animal testing, there are commendable brands that go against this and ensure that their products are 100% animal-friendly..
However, we did find some products with rather misleading labels, so make sure you stick with our recommended deodorants.
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| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Schmidt's Aluminum Free Natural Deodorant for Women and Men, Rose and Vanilla with 24 Hour Odor Prot
| 9.7 | Check Price |
 | Organic Island Deodorant Baking Soda Free with Probiotics for Sensitive Skin 2.5 oz Stick, Natural w
| 9.5 | Check Price |
 | Zion Health Clay Dry Deodorant, Original Silk, 2.5 Oz
| 9.1 | Check Price |
 | Kopari Aluminum Free Natural Deodorant with Organic Coconut Oil | Original 2 Pack | Vegan, Gluten Fr
| 8.8 | Check Price |
 | Herban Cowboy Wild Deodorant -- 3x2.8 Oz3
| 8.6 | Check Price |
 | Pacifica Underarm Deodorant Wipes 30 Coconut Milk & Gardenia
| 8.2 | Check Price |
 | Green Tidings Organic All Natural Deodorant, Lavender, 2.7 Ounces (3 Pack)
| 8 | Check Price |
 | Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant - Mini Deodorant 4-Pack Includes Fresh Vanilla Lemon, Pure Vanilla, V
| 7.7 | Check Price |
 | Tom's of Maine Natural Deodorant Stick Unscented 2.25 oz (Pack of 3)
| 7.4 | Check Price |
 | Sam’s Natural Deodorant - Aluminum Free - No phthalates, parabens, sulfates, or dyes - Made in New
| 7.2 | Check Price |
 | CRYSTAL Deodorant Mineral Deodorant Stick, Travel, 1.5 Ounce
| 9.5 | Check Price |
 | Love Beauty And Planet Deodorant, Argan Oil and Lavender, 2.95 Oz
| 9.5 | Check Price |
1 – Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant (Editor’s Choice)
Schmidt’s vegan deodorant uses only natural ingredients, with the primary active substance being baking soda.
Yes, this simple household item is known to help absorb sweat in a way that may limit the bad odors [1].The only downside we found with this one is that it may create a slightly waxy residue if you apply too much of it. However, most users report that they only need a small amount to smell fresh.
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CONS
Not just cruelty-free, this is one of the vegan and organic products that we found might be quite effective. Many users like the fact that it’s unscented, as it may help you to not clash with perfumes or aftershaves.However, if you do want a deodorant that provides a nice fragrance, then this one may not be suitable.
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By including aluminum-free probiotic ingredients, it claims to help reduce the risk of body smells developing with less of a chance of allergic reactions.
2 – Organic Island
Made for sensitive skin, this baking Soda Free deodorant has special ingredients like Magnesium, Arrowroot, Kaolin, Clan & Non-Nano Zinc Oxide.
Natural, Organic, Baking Soda free, Aluminum free Deodorant with Vegan Probiotics for odor control.
BPA free -Gluten free -Baking soda free -Aluminum free -Paraben free -Alcohol free -No added fragrance -Vegan
3 – Zion Health Clay Dry
If you like changing the fragrance of your vegan deodorants regularly, then Zion Health may have you covered.
Personally, I tend to get bored with deodorants quickly, so this was a convincing factor for me.Many users also highlighted that the blend of clay and natural oils meant that there was less risk of itching after applying it.
However, a few reviews highlighted that they noticed that some pores became clogged, so keep an eye out for that (see best oils for under eye wrinkles).
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CONS
4 – Kopari Deodorant
Kopari is another vegan deodorant that avoids the use of harmful aluminum and is mainly based on coconut oil and milk.
These have become quite popular in body and skincare (see also ‘How to Care for Your Skin Before and After Microdermabrasion‘) products as they rarely cause allergic reactions [2].
However, if you tend to lead a very active life or spend a lot of time in a hot climate, then this may not give you the same full-day freshness as other vegan antiperspirants do.
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CONS
5 – Herban Cowboy Wild Deodorant
Yes, I’ll admit it, the clever marketing name of this brand had me hooked from the start.
But despite my suspicions, I was pleasantly surprised.I would agree with many user reviews that the certified vegan deodorant applies easily and doesn’t leave a sticky residue.
As the name suggests, though, the scent is quite strong, so keep that in mind.
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CONS
6 – Pacifica Beauty Deodorant Wipes
Personally, I had never heard of these types of deodorant products, but our female team members all seem to keep some of these Pacifica Beauty Deodorant Wipes in handbags.
We also noticed that many users commented that even though their skin was sensitive, they didn’t seem to have any reactions to the wipes.
Just keep in mind that they aren’t the cheapest, and you may need to use a few of them each day.
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CONS
7 – Green Tidings Natural Deodorant
This is the first vegan deodorant with shea butter and natural oils that we found.
The reason we like seeing natural oils (see also ‘The Benefits of Essential Oils‘) in deodorants is that there really is no need to test them on animals, as their use is so widespread.
The first item on the ingredients list is baking soda, which may help to reduce the amount of sweat you release.
The only thing I didn’t like about it is that the stick is a bit hard, which makes applying the deodorant not so easy.
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CONS
8 – Lavanila Laboratories Healthy Deodorant
Another one of the vegan products with a nice selection of fragrances is this Lavanila one.
All of them are a combination of vanilla (surprise, surprise!).In quite a few user reviews, there are comments that it doesn’t cause much of a residue, which may reduce the risk of it staining your clothes
.However, it’s not the best option for all-day protection.
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CONS
9 – Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant
One of the vegan cruelty-free deodorants, where we noticed a lot of feedback about how it worked for people with a very active life, is Tom’s of Maine.
With only natural ingredients, it does seem like the brand has struck a popular balance between smell and effectiveness.
One thing I would suggest, though, is to give it some time to dry before you put on your clothes, as it may leave some residue.
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CONS
10 – Sam’s Natural Deodorant Stick
Another vegan deodorant brand that makes it very clear that no animals were harmed.
(cruelty free Chapstick) is Sam’s. One of the main active ingredients is baking soda, and many users mention that it’s concentrated enough so that you may avoid having to reapply it.While it does have positive comments about not causing irritations, it may result in some stained clothing.
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CONS
11 – Crystal Mineral Deodorant Stick
If you’re tired of ruined clothes because you can’t get the deodorant stains out, then the best option may be this Crystal product.
It’s almost clear and gel-like with mineral salts that may counteract the development of sweat.On the downside, some users shared that it didn’t work as well as other vegan options when it came to how long it lasted.
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CONS
12 – Lavender Moon All Natural Deodorant
This lavender vegan deodorant does have a pleasant smell that you might find is also soothing.
By using a mix of essential oils, it seems like it’s able to reduce sweating and odors for most of the day.
Just keep in mind that some people who tend to get skin (skin health) reactions shared that this wasn’t their favorite choice.
CONS
13 – Botanik Natural Deodorant
The final vegan option we want to share with you is this Botanik one.
There are quite a few positive comments from busy people who say it may help to reduce sweating throughout the day.
We also found that it doesn’t tend to stain your clothing.
The only downside is that it’s not currently available in a fragrance for men.
PROS
CONS
What Ingredients Do Vegan Deodorants Contain?
Vegan deodorants generally combine ingredients like baking soda, coconut oil and milk, essential oils, and in some cases, natural mineral oils (carrier Oils).However, in all of our research, we have found that some dubious labeling is sometimes used to make something look like it’s suitable for vegans.Here are two things to look out for.
Animal Product Free
First of all, you want to check the label for anything that may have been sourced from animals. PETA has a great resource that may help you with this [3], or else you could just pick one of the above vegan products.
Cruelty-Free
However, just because something wasn’t sourced from animals, doesn’t mean that no animals were harmed in the process. It’s important only to consider cruelty-free deodorants, and the best way to do that is to look for some certifications on the packaging.
Typically, animal tests for cosmetics include skin and eye (see botox) irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of rabbits; repeated oral force-feeding studies lasting weeks or months to look for signs of general illness or specific health hazards, such as cancer or birth defects.
Humane Society International
But is that all?
Benefits Of Using Vegan Deodorants
Beyond being the right thing to do from an ethical point of view, there are two other reasons why vegans and non-vegans should consider using these products.
Environment & Sustainability
Especially when you choose organic ingredients, the damage to the environment may be significantly limited.But natural ingredients also tend not to have a harmful effect when they wash off during a shower and making it into the waterways [4].
Health And Wellbeing
With no harmful chemicals used as pesticides, there is also less risk of those chemicals making it into your body [5]. While these may only be tiny amounts, for something you apply every day, like a deodorant, there is a risk that it may accumulate over time to become harmful.
Deodorant Vs. Antiperspirant
One discussion we ended up in is trying to define the different types of products we analyzed.
We all tend to use the two terms interchangeably, but in reality, there are rather different.Basically, a regular deodorant will aim to provide odor protection.
So, when you do start sweating, the smell will be masked.An antiperspirant, on the other hand, will limit the sweating in the first place, most commonly by reducing the activity of sweat glands.
Other Resources You May Like:
FAQ
Is Dove deodorant vegan?
No, Dove deodorant is not vegan (see also ‘Is CeraVe A Vegan Company?‘) as the company has not confirmed that it avoids the use of substances tested on animals. This is an unfortunate reality for most of the leading health and beauty companies.
Is Mitchum deodorant vegan?
No, not all Mitchum deodorants are vegan, with the main problem being that it’s sold in China where testing on animals is mandatory. So, even if the product technically didn’t cause any harm to animals in the US, it will have in China.
Are all-natural deodorants vegan?
No, not all-natural deodorants are vegan, even if they advertise not containing animal ingredients. The main reason is that many of these deodorants have been directly tested on animals in very cruel ways.
It might be shocking to learn that animal testing is required by law in China for all foreign cosmetics (see also our article on Botox safety) companies. This means that all the big American and European cosmetics brands that are currently sold in China, must undergo animal testing.
Suzanne Rose
Vegan Journalist
With All Those Choices, Which One Should You Try?
To answer this, we had a heated debate followed by a vote. And despite loving a good argument, we all managed to agree that Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant is the one we would not want to be without.It ticks all the right boxes for containing natural ingredients, being chemical-free, and not having caused harm to animals or the environment.Give it a try and report back to us on social media to let us know if you agree.
About the author
Jason Hughes
Hey, I'm Jason and welcome to my website. I created VeganLiftz because of my passion (more like obsession) with the vegan diet, strength training, Bodybuilding, Health & Wellness. Feel free to peruse the various articles on this website; I hope you find something useful!
View All Posts
Jason Hughes
Hey, I'm Jason and welcome to my website. I created VeganLiftz because of my passion (more like obsession) with the vegan diet, strength training, Bodybuilding, Health & Wellness. Feel free to peruse the various articles on this website; I hope you find something useful!
View All Posts
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Co-Founder, NASM, ACSM, L.D.N. at Vegan Liftz
Hey, I'm Jason and welcome to my website. I created VeganLiftz because of my passion (more like obsession) with the vegan diet, strength training, Bodybuilding, Health & Wellness. Feel free to peruse the various articles on this website; I hope you find something useful!
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